Spring bulb planting
“That is one good thing about this world… there are always sure to be more springs.”
- from Anne of Avonlea by L M Montgomery.
While we bask in the colour and glory of autumn, as gardeners we are always planning ahead. It is time for spring bulb planting as the earth cools and the days become shorter. The majority of growers at Ashburton Community Garden focus mainly on edibles, particularly broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages over the winter months. However I am here to hopefully inspire you to find room in your plot for a sprinkling of bulbs.
Al and I cram as many flowers into our plot as possible, but do tend to plant out leafy greens, brassicas and peas during the cool months. The other half of the plot is dedicated to spring blooms. You can pick up bulbs for a steal now, from the usual big growers like Tesselaar or Garden Express. We save naturalising bulbs like freesias, daffodils and grape hyacinths for home, and instead concentrate on bulbs and corms that can be lifted for the community garden plot. We also have some annual favourites that work well growing alongside spring bulbs.
Ranunculus are a favourite of ours, second only to dahlias in the summer. You can pick up cheaper ranuncs like the Picasso, which can be a cost-effective beginning to your ranunculus journey. After trialling different corms over a number of seasons, we have decided to exclusively plant the Renaissance varieties. They are significantly more expensive, but you get more blooms per corm, they have a much longer vase life, and are aesthetically more pleasing with fuller, rippling petals!
Sweet peas will need a trellis or obelisk to grow up, or you can also throw some biodegradable netting over the back fence. We have had success with both in our plot. My method of growing sweet peas is to plant some, worry when shoots don’t appear, and then plant more! This way I end up with a colossal amount. But can you really have too many sweet peas? A tip for protecting delicate shoots from snails is to pop a jar on top of the emerging seedling. Sweet peas are a fabulous choice as a climber, when your garden space is at a premium!
Other spring-blooming bulbs, corms and seeds that have been successful in our plot include anemones, poppies - especially this Angel’s Choir mix, love-in-a-mist and larkspur. Anemones are very early blooming, so you can enjoy some colour in the depths of winter.
So while there is no need to throw away the broccoli, consider squeezing in some beauty and colour to your plot this spring.
Hanna - Plot 18